


The Sky Breaks Open

by strawberryrose



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit RPF
Genre: Astraphobia, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gentle Sex, Grinding, Hand Jobs, Kink Meme, Kissing, Lee is a cheeky baby, Leif the Giraffe, M/M, Pillow & Blanket Forts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-25
Updated: 2013-10-25
Packaged: 2017-12-30 10:34:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1017561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberryrose/pseuds/strawberryrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A cold and stormy night in the New Zealand winter has Richard's worrywart tendencies flaring up. Though not, perhaps, for no reason.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sky Breaks Open

**Author's Note:**

  * For [xxoo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxoo/gifts).



> Also dedicated to insaneboingo, who absolutely tirelessly cheerlead this story for almost four whole very crazy months. ♥ In addition, I lay the blame for this one squarely at her feet, as this was written for the second of the two prompts (http://hobbit-kink.livejournal.com/6124.html?thread=15447276) she threw my way back in June!
> 
> Believe it or not, this is actually _not_ the giant fluffy RichLee I've been mentioning since April. There is one that's longer (though perhaps it's hard to be fluffier than this), and it's yet to come.
> 
> To Neut, I hope you enjoy! I suppose it's a little late to comfort your The Fall feels, heh. And to everyone, love love! ♥

Richard paced his living room. It wasn't constructive, he knew that. He was beyond the point of caring, though; he was restless and worried, and despite his inevitable exhaustion at the end of a long day of filming, he was fairly certain that if he had to sit still he'd go a bit mad.

He kept the stubby plastic-covered antenna of his phone pointed toward the outer wall as he walked, as if a lack of signal was the problem. His breathing he carefully regulated, which in turn kept his heart beating slowly (though it still ached with fear) - there was no point, after all, in letting himself spiral _completely_ out of control.

He paused as he passed the window, as he'd done every time before. Just across the street and one, two, three houses down... Richard sighed and let his head tip forward until it was resting against cold glass. There was still no light on at Lee's house. It wasn't, actually, so much that he could see Lee's house through the darkness and sideways rain as it was that he could see lights on in Aidan and Ian's houses, to either side. The dark patch in between weighed on his mind like a spectre.

Richard was usually the first actor at the studio in the mornings and the last one there at night, and today had been no different. That was about where the normalcy of the day ended, however. A terrible storm had blown in, worse than he'd seen in all the time he'd spent filming in New Zealand so far, and in fact worse apparently than their resident Kiwis were used to. They filmed on through it, of course - as if Peter would do anything less! The mood was quite different, with everyone foregoing their trailers (and long moments in the pounding rain) during breaks in favour of huddling together around cafeteria tables with cups of their hot beverage of choice.

Adam had been rather excited by the weather, staring out at it with bright, curious eyes. Dean kept reaching for the camera that wasn't around his neck. Aidan lamented once that the wind was too strong for him to run out and splash in the puddles, and Richard wasn't certain that he wouldn't have eventually tried, had James and Martin not immediately begun to stick to him like glue. Many of the others were slightly edgy, and Richard frankly couldn't blame them. Stephen and William had been all but entirely joined at the hip; Jed's overall demeanour was as cheerful and sharp as usual, but the way he didn't stray from within ten feet of Mark all day was telling; Graham kept raising his hand toward his mouth as if to bite his nails, then would seem to remember he was wearing prosthetic hands and drop his arm back to his side.

Lee, peculiarly, seemed to remain in-character almost all day. He kept to himself, and after Adam had tried sitting down with him at lunch only to receive an aloof, icy stare, everyone else left him alone as well. Just before dinner, though, Richard had entered the restroom to find Lee at one of the sinks. The younger man's face was reflected in the mirror, and the creased forehead and curved eyebrows struck Richard as decidedly un-Elfish. Lee's lower lip was between his teeth, and in the scant few moments before Lee noticed Richard was there and composed himself, Richard watched him anxiously chew his lip raw.

That Lee had been so clearly _off_ all day made the fact that he was the only one who hadn't responded to Richard's text all the more worrisome.

When he'd finally gotten back to his cozy little house, Richard had spent about five minutes worrying himself almost sick before he'd given in and started sending little texts to the others to make sure they'd all made it through the storm safely. Some he didn't bother to contact - he could see several houses easily from his front room, and where lights were on he wasn't concerned. Almost everyone got back to him quickly, some even expressing relief that _he_ was home safe. Not everyone, he found, had apparently felt comfortable spending the stormy night alone - the text he sent to Dean's phone was answered with so many smiley faces that it was very clear it had been Aidan who composed the message, and the reply he recieved from Graham had indicated he needn't text Adam, Jed, or Mark, as they were all holed up at Graham's house together.

But Lee didn't respond, and the lights in his house never came on. Once five minutes had passed since Richard had heard back from the last of the others, he'd begun to feel a bit sick again. At ten minutes he forced himself to take a shower - not so much because he needed to (although after a day in costume, he most definitely _did_ ), but because he was attempting to convince himself that that was what Lee was up to (tucked away in an inside room and no other lights on, away from his phone).

It was - Richard checked his watch - over twenty minutes, now, since he'd heard back from the last of the others, and nearly forty-five minutes since he'd texted Lee in the first place. His house sat still and dark, and Richard couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone very wrong.

Richard lifted his forehead away from the window, resisting the childish urge to sketch Lee's name where his breath had fogged the glass. He had to try once more. He lifted the phone and tapped out a short message.

_Sorry to bother you again, wasn't sure if you got my earlier text. Just wanted to make sure you got home all right._

Richard stared at the words, thumb hovering uncertainly over the send button until the screen went dark. He swallowed, hesitated for several more seconds, and sent the text.

Twelve minutes later, Richard was about ready to cry. There'd been no text, no call, and no light. Lee had most likely gotten home and gone straight to bed after a long and obviously difficult day, he tried to console himself. It wasn't enough, though. He _knew_ it wasn't enough.

He started toward the door and then turned back indecisively half a dozen times before finally settling on what he intended to do. He'd just nip across the street and see if Lee's car was in his driveway. Or if not there, perhaps in someone else's driveway. In the back of his mind, he knew but refused to admit that if he didn't find Lee in their little neighbourhood, he'd drive to the studio and back again just to be sure the younger man hadn't gone off the road somewhere. That Lee could have parked his car in his garage was a possibility he had to consider, but also one he didn't have any way to confirm.

Richard's trainers were soaked through seconds after he stepped out his door. He regretted instantly that he hadn't brought his hiking boots with him for pickups. The wind howled in his ears, and he pulled his coat tighter around himself. The road was apparently attempting to become a small river, and despite the urgency buzzing in his bones and the terrified pounding of his heart, he waded slowly and carefully through the coursing water.

That Lee's car was not in his driveway was something Richard could see clearly by the time he was passing Aidan's house. His heart felt as if it had dropped entirely out of his body and been swept away by the wind and rain. He stood as though lost in the middle of Lee's driveway for several moments.

Thunder crashed right overhead and Richard instinctively stumbled his way toward the nearest shelter - which happened to be Lee's front porch. He couldn't - just _couldn't_ \- let himself panic now. As soon as his knees quit knocking together, he'd go back to his house and do a quick drive up and down the street. Richard honestly hadn't thought Lee would seek out company considering how he'd been during the day, but it was more than worth checking. (The idea that Lee could be cuddled up to someone's side right at that moment sent a stab of loss through Richard's heart, but he swallowed the emotion and refused to let himself dwell on it. He'd been too cautious - _cowardly_ , a part of him jeered - to make a move, so he was automatically forfeit any feelings of loss over what he'd not had in the first place. And besides, much better that Lee was with someone than on the side of the road somewhere.)

Richard leaned back against the door for a moment, trying to gather himself as another sharp crack shook the air around him. He jumped slightly at a bright flash, his elbow knocking against the doorknob.

Richard froze, a thought occurring to him. Was he going to try the door? That was something others would do - Jed, Aidan, probably even Lee himself - but was he, Richard, about to try entering a home unannounced? He turned to face the door. Even if he checked, it was going to be locked, he told himself. Lee was either not at home or asleep, so of course it would be locked. He placed a hand on the knob anyway.

The knob turned. The latch clicked. The door all but ripped out of his grip with the force of the wind pushing it open. Richard half-stumbled into the house, the wind at his back and chasing the door. He managed to close it again only with effort.

Then Richard stood in the darkness of Lee's front room, heart pounding and ears still ringing from the wind. This was it, he told himself; he'd transcended the line from 'coworker with a crush' to 'creepy stalker'. The house smelled like Lee, and Richard's worries about his newfound stalkerism were not allayed by the fact that he was simultaneously comforted and flustered by that scent. He was just about to turn around and leave, his own peace of mind be damned, when his ears recovered and Richard froze.

From somewhere in the darkness, audible even over the howl of the storm, came the unmistakable sound of someone crying.

Not just someone. Lee. Lee was crying. The tension Richard had wound around himself evaporated like mist in the wind, and in its absence Richard was left off-kilter and at a loss. He pressed a hand to his mouth and backed up until he was leaning against the door again. It was not just crying, even, but terrible, violent sobs - _agony_ which twisted Richard's heart so hard that it made his head spin.

Richard shouldn't have been witnessing this. What was he supposed to do, though, now that he had? He _couldn't_ just leave Lee to suffer like this, could he? A braver man than him, Richard thought, would have called out, or followed the sound of crying to its source, or even gone back outside and knocked on the door properly. Richard, however, was not that braver man, and his feet in their waterlogged shoes were rooted to the floor.

The thought came to him when he instinctively moved his free hand up to his chest, as if physically shielding his heart would spare it the pain of hearing Lee reduced to tears. He had his cell phone with him, stashed in an inner pocket of his coat to keep it out of the rain. He could at least find out if Lee had been getting his messages or not.

The light from the screen reflected off of the white-painted wall behind him and filled the room with an eerie, pale glow. Lee was nowhere to be seen, or at least not precisely. On the sofa, however, was a lumpy pile of what Richard could only assume was every single blanket in the house. The blankets shifted slightly and the weeping became more muffled. It was absolutely unbearable, and Richard clicked through the menus on his phone quickly.

Once he was able to begin composing the message, though, he found himself once again hesitating until the screen went dark and dropped the room into shadow. What was he supposed to say? _What's wrong_ wouldn't make a lot of sense without Lee knowing Richard was in the room with him. Any kind of direct request for a response seemed too pushy - Lee was clearly miserable enough without Richard adding on to it. _I'm at the door_ and other variations on that theme were entirely too horror movie.

Eventually, Richard tapped out a basic,

_You all right?_

He sent it off quickly, trying not to give himself a chance to second-guess the message further. Several long seconds passed, and then on the table in front of the sofa a rectangular light flicked on, followed by a loud buzz.

Lee's crying slowly resolved itself into heavy, wet hiccoughs. An arm slipped out from beneath the blankets and Lee felt along the table until his hand closed around the phone and he was able to take it with him back under the covers. Time felt as if it had slowed down as Richard waited, the worried buzz of his thoughts broken only by Lee's occasional half-sobs and the distant roll of thunder.

Lee was apparently intending to respond to this text, Richard noted. He could hear little murmurings every so often, as if the younger man was reading off what he'd written, and Lee hadn't returned the phone to the table. A great roll of thunder began, so loud and long and nearby that the part of Richard that was Thorin half-believed there to be a giant or two making its way down the street. The house shook. When the noise died down, Richard was left listening to hoarse crying.

Richard ran a hand over his mouth, not caring when a bit of stray adhesive from god-knew-where caught in the hairs of his beard and pulled. He desperately hoped that he was not the cause of Lee's upset even as he once again raised his phone. It was even harder to compose a message this time, especially at the moment he realized that what he was hearing was his own name, broken and lengthened into several sobbing syllables. In the end, he typed out the one word that had been on the tip of his tongue all night, the weirdness of the message out-of-context barely flickering in the back of his mind.

_Lee?_

Richard didn't have the presence of mind to count the seconds, and he couldn't hear the buzz of the text message alert through the blankets, but when Lee suddenly let out such a terrible sob that the whole blanket pile jerked, Richard guessed his message had arrived. Less than a minute later, without Lee's crying having let up even for a moment, Richard's phone at long last vibrated in his hand.

_Come save me?_

Richard was instantly both terrified and relieved, and it was hard to pinpoint the reason for either emotion. Part of him couldn't help but imagine how he'd have felt reading those words had he not known that Lee was safe (if not entirely well). He replied almost without thinking.

_I'm here to save you._

Several seconds passed.

Lee's exclamation of surprise was wordless, and he gave such a jolt that the top couple blankets slipped away onto the floor. Richard tapped a button on his phone to put it into flashlight mode as a hand appeared on the back of the sofa. A moment later, Lee's wide-eyed face appeared alongside it.

"Richard? How did you- did you _run_ over here?" Lee's voice was wrecked, and the sound of it made a lump appear in Richard's throat which he had to attempt to swallow before he could reply. He toed his wet shoes off to buy himself time.

"Actually," Richard rather hesitantly began as he pulled off his wet socks, "When you didn't respond to my first two texts, I came to see if you'd made it home." He cleared his throat nervously and stuffed the socks into his shoes. Lee sniffled a bit.

"So you got knight-in-shining-armor on me before I even asked?"

Richard shrugged off his coat and let it fall on his shoes. "More like dwarf-in-soggy-overcoat, but yes, I suppose so."

Lee's lips quirked slightly at that, and the expression in his eyes was one Richard had seen before but could never quite place. Most of his face, however, looked as though he could start crying again at any moment. Richard's footfalls against the carpet were silent in the face of the wind and pounding rain. Lee's lower lip went between his teeth as he watched Richard's tentative approach. Part of Richard wanted to object to that; it had to hurt where Lee had bitten through the skin earlier, didn't it?

As Richard drew close it became very apparent (as if he hadn't known already), even in the half-light, that Lee was in a state. His face was all splotchy - pale and worn in some places, but flushed in others. Heavy bags hung under bloodshot eyes that were framed by dark lashes all wet and clumped with tears. What curls the younger man hadn't shorn off for easier wig application were sticking every which way, one falling right between his eyes. Richard wanted nothing more in that moment than to brush that curl off of Lee's forehead, run his thumb just under Lee's mouth so he'd stop worrying his lip, and gather him in his arms until whatever was wrong got better.

What he did instead was very cautiously reach a hand out and place it on Lee's shoulder. Even through the fabric of his shirt, Lee's skin was hot. Richard thought it was most likely due to the number of blankets Lee had been hiding beneath, but he wasn't entirely prepared to rule out fever.

"What's wrong?"

Lee's face filled with what was unmistakably shame, and he ducked his head to hide it.

"It's really stupid," Lee muttered somewhat petulantly. He glanced back up to Richard's face, their gazes brushing for just a moment. Lee opened his mouth to speak.

Thunder ripped through the air. The change was immediate - Lee stiffened under Richard's hand and his eyes unfocused as they widened. Richard struggled to keep up as the panic flooding Lee's face sent a potent surge of fear through his own heart. The thunderclap finished off with a sound like an explosion. Lee crumpled against the back of the sofa, _keening_ at the noise. A choked sob escaped, then another and another, until Lee was crying unreservedly against the cushions.

It was the storm, Richard realized as he awkwardly bent over, trying to wrap his arms around Lee but succeeding only in carding one hand through Lee's hair and placing the hand still holding his phone against Lee's back. Lee must have been struggling to keep himself in check all day at the studio, and then when he got home collapsed on the sofa without locking the door or turning on any lights. (It did beg the question of whether or not Lee typically had a small hotel's worth of blankets in the general vicinity of his sofa, but he'd have to remember to ask about that later.)

Clumsy though they may have been, Lee responded to the touches with energy, wrapping his arms around Richard's waist and clinging tightly. Richard, at a loss for what else to do, kept stroking Lee's hair. As Lee's sobs slowly began to quiet, Richard found that the gentle motion soothed himself almost as much as he hoped it did for Lee.

Once Lee was doing nothing more than breathing damply - if shakily - into Richard's shirt, Richard was forced to consider his next move. His default reaction to someone being deeply upset was to make said person some tea. Lee, however, was American, and Richard was not only unsure if tea would work on Lee, he didn't even know if there was any tea in the house.

Richard only realized he'd stopped stroking Lee's hair when Lee looked up at him. The only light in the room was coming from the phone pressed against Lee's back, and Lee's expression was invisible in its own shadow. Richard made a quick decision; if he couldn't make tea, he'd skip right to the next step. Lee made a deeply wounded sound when Richard tried to gently disentangle himself, then cleared his throat and ducked his head as he let Richard go.

"Sorry," he whispered, barely audible above the wind. He slipped down the sofa's back until not much of him was left above the mess of blankets.

Distressing Lee further was definitely not what Richard had intended to do, and he struggled with his impulses for a split second before leaning down awkwardly over the back of the sofa to wrap an arm around Lee's shoulders as best he could.

"There's nothing to apologize for," he murmured. "Didn't mean to upset you. I was just going to come sit with you."

"Oh." Lee's voice was small and sheepish. Richard let him go and moved around the end of the sofa as quickly as he dared in the darkness and only semi-familiar surroundings. His phone he abandoned next to himself on the sofa as he sat - lit screen facing up. Lee's expression shifted through emotions rapidly as Richard leaned over and pulled the blankets that had slipped off the pile back up on top.

"Thanks," Lee murmured as Richard sat back up and settled in just at the edge of the blanket mountain. Richard nodded, a small smile crossing his lips.

From this close, the fatigue of the day was plain on Lee's face. It stood to reason, of course - a full day of filming, combined with the effort of suppressing this fear, had been capped off with what could have been as much as two-and-a-half hours of active crying. (Perhaps less; the smell of fresh shampoo was unmistakable, especially considering how Richard's stomach always seemed to twist itself half-pleasurably when he caught a faceful of that scent. He hoped his pupils weren't dilating.)

Exactly how long they sat there staring at each other silently in the semi-darkness Richard did not know; when Lee squeezed his eyes shut as the wind picked up, howling around the house, Richard _did_ know it had been far longer than was entirely proper.

"Lee."

Lee's eyes flew open, wet and glimmering. Richard opened his arms.

Lee all but fell against Richard's chest, arms wrapping tight around his back. Richard did the same, one hand again finding Lee's hair and the other arm just holding him close. The younger man was trembling all over, and Richard felt as though his heart was being wrung out like a dishrag. When Lee's breath hitched, Richard only barely hesitated before bowing his head, gathering Lee closer and resting his cheek against soft curls. It hopefully wasn't too intimate; blanket pile considered, it seemed likely that Lee was comforted by being all wrapped up.

"It's all right," he murmured, the sound barely more than a low rumble in his chest. "I've got you." Lee's grip on him grew tighter.

"I'm sorry, Richard," Lee replied, his voice half a whimper. "It's stupid - past thirty and still afraid of thunder." He turned his face further into Richard's chest and mumbled something that sounded like, "And wind. And rain." Richard slowly pet Lee's hair with his fingertips, not moving his palm where it cupped the back of Lee's head.

"Fears don't have to make sense," Richard replied gently. "I'm forty and can swim, but still terrified of deep water." Lee made a sound of acknowledgement but no verbal reply. "Is it always like this?" Richard found himself asking, halfway through the sentence before he realized what words were coming out of his mouth.

Lee shifted again so that he could speak audibly. "Depends on the storm. How bad it is, and how long." His voice dropped to a whisper. "How much thunder." Lee shivered, making an indecipherable wet sound as the wind roared outside. He mouthed some words that Richard could feel but not hear.

"Hm?"

"It's the worst," Lee whispered, "when there are people I really care about in the storm, and I'm afraid for them too." Lee's fingers dug into Richard's back somewhat painfully. Richard ignored the slight discomfort. He understood what Lee meant by 'people he really cared about', but for just a flicker of a moment allowed himself to hear it the way he wanted to. Then he shoved that thought away and, for one of the first times in his life, found himself grateful for his tendency to worry.

"Everyone's fine," he murmured.

"But how can you be sure?" Lee nearly wailed the words, tears soaking through Richard's shirt to wet his skin. Richard rubbed a hand up and down Lee's back, carefully keeping his breathing and the movement slow until Lee calmed somewhat. He thought he heard another whispered apology, but ignored it in favour of replying,

"I texted everyone when I got home, and they all replied. Everyone is all right." Lee pulled back suddenly, his expression too muddled for Richard to make sense of. Richard kept his arms wrapped loosely around the younger man.

"You- they are?"

Rather than responding verbally, Richard reached behind himself to grab the phone. Lee blinked and winced at the light as it was aimed at him, but thumbed through the messages with relief growing slowly on his face.

When he arrived at the last of the messages, Lee looked over at Richard, and Richard's breath caught in his throat. Perhaps Lee had leaned back into him without Richard noticing, or Richard himself had subconsciously pulled the younger man nearer, but Lee's face was so close that Richard couldn't think straight. Lee gave a trembling almost-bite to his own lip, which didn't shake free the tear clinging there. Richard tried desperately not to think about kissing that tear away, an impromptu lecture on propriety spinning through his head. All of Richard's coherent thoughts promptly scattered as Lee leaned in closer. He couldn't put any words to it, but something in Richard's chest tightened when Lee drew near enough that Richard could feel Lee's breath on his face.

Something tumbled from the blankets into Richard's lap as Lee shifted, and the spell of the moment was broken as Richard looked down to see not a pillow, as he'd expected, but rather,

"A giraffe?"

And indeed it was - a plush giraffe of generous but not excessive size, obviously well-loved, with lanky limbs and large eyes. Lee attempted to speak, his worn voice faltered, and he gave an embarrassed little cough before attempting again.

"Yeah. Um, that's Leif."

A quick glance at Lee revealed a very awkward expression on his face, which only grew more pronounced as Richard's hand instinctively made its way to the little giraffe's back. (There was wetness there, but Richard ignored it.) Half a dozen thoughts spilled through his mind - everything from 'Nice to meet you, Leif', to 'Well, I'm glad you weren't alone after all'. None of the words managed to reach his lips, however, and instead he reached a couple of fingers up and scritched lightly between Leif's ears as if he was a cat. Lee made a small noise, and Richard's curious, slightly nervous look found Lee's focus stuck on Leif, all vaguely incredulous tear-stained delight.

It was a simple, quick movement to quirk Leif's head to one side inquisitively, his gaze fixed on Lee. (Lee's mouth dropped open.) It was slightly more difficult to get the little fellow to shuffle close enough to bend that long neck and butt his head gently against Lee's arm. Lee gave a choked laugh and covered his face with one hand, the skin that was still visible flaming red. He peeked at Richard between his fingers.

"You are ridiculous."

Richard faked a sheepish sound as he handed the plush back to Lee, though in truth he mostly felt triumph; he'd gotten Lee to laugh a bit, which wasn't his strong suit even in the best of circumstances. Lee held Leif to his chest for a long moment, his face half in shadow. When he raised his head again and met Richard's eyes, Richard had a split second to wonder, somewhat stupidly, if it was possible for his heart to burst its seams with sheer affection. Then he quite suddenly had an armful of Lee, with Leif trapped between them.

They stayed like that for some time - Lee breathing slowly and holding on firmly, but without the edge of desperation he'd had before; Richard reveling in the feel of Lee, warm and calm, curled up in his arms. With Leif thrown into the mix, a slightly mad part of Richard couldn't help but feel as though he had a whole little family wrapped safely in his arms.

It was the storm that ultimately disturbed their tranquility, of course. The thunder began to crash more frequently, seeming to come nearer again although Richard had thought it might be moving on (or perhaps it was a whole new wave of the storm; it wasn't the most comforting thought even for Richard). When Lee began to shiver in his hold and the windows rattled in their frames, Richard made a quick decision and leaned down to murmur in Lee's ear,

"Do you want to go back in your fort?" Lee gave a little tense jolt and didn't reply for just long enough that Richard began to silently fret that he'd said exactly the wrong thing.

"Fort?" Richard couldn't see Lee's face from his angle, but relief washed through him at the amused note in the younger man's voice.

"You know." He patted somewhat timidly at the blankets still covering part of Lee's legs.

Lee turned his face further into Richard's chest and laughed - well and truly _laughed_. Richard was not entirely certain he'd been _that_ funny, but his heart soared nevertheless.

"You have quite the bedside manner, Rich." A single laugh burst from Richard's chest at those words, and Lee echoed it, then sniffed thickly and gave a smaller laugh - this one quiet and halfway a groan. "Ugh, my head hurts."

Richard had never heard such a genuine whine from Lee before, and he had to clamp down on another laugh at the surprise of it. He considered the unhelpful response of 'I bet it does', but a massive crack of thunder silenced him and sent Lee into such a fit of trembling that Richard could feel Leif slipping from between them. He attempted to soothe Lee with the same gentle touches that had worked before, but every time the tension would start to drain from the younger man's body the thunder would crash again, shaking the house until Richard was unsure which vibration was from the storm and which was Lee's own shivering. (Richard wondered if the lack of new tears was because Lee was comforted at least that much, or if it was due to force of will since his crying headache had already begun to set in.)

"Fort?" Richard's voice dipped low as he once more murmured the word questioningly into Lee's ear.

"Only if you come with me."

Why exactly that particular request made Richard's heart skip a beat and knocked the air right out of his lungs Richard did not know. What he did know was that when he opened his mouth to reply, all he got at first was a mortifyingly thin wheeze. He balanced on knife's-edge for just a moment after gathering his wits, debating between an earnest reply and a lighthearted one, before deciding on a middle ground.

"Of course," he said gently. His lips accidentally brushed the shell of Lee's ear as he spoke, and he thought it quite a feat to keep his own train of thought when faced with the feeling of that cool skin. Lee's only response was to let one of his hands fist in the back of Richard's shirt. "Hmm, do you invite all the dwarven kings into your blanket fort, or is it just me?"

Lee seemed to choke on air and pulled back enough to look at Richard with wide eyes, lashes still all tear-clumped. (Richard could feel Leif fall the rest of the way down onto the sofa's cushions.) For just a few moments, his face was an indecipherable muddle of emotions, though the way his eyes lingered on Richard's face suggested he might be searching for an answer to a question that Richard had yet to learn. Then a spark lit up Lee's eyes and Richard's wits threatened to desert him.

"Do you go into all the blanket forts you're invited into?" Lee asked, the innocent sweetness of his tone cut only by the way his voice was still somewhat ragged. "Nearly half the cast would be willing, I'd bet."

Richard tried his best not to sputter and stumble over his reply, but it did not take long for him to find himself himself failing in that regard. Lee gave a small, lopsided smile, then flinched as thunder ripped the air apart. Richard fumbled distractedly for where his phone still lay on the blankets, his gaze not leaving Lee as the younger man ducked his head and scrubbed at his eyes.

Thunder crashed again. Lee seemed to shrink. Richard tossed the phone carelessly behind himself; the light from the screen went out as it landed face-down on the cushions. Lee made an odd sound that turned into an exasperated laugh.

"I can't believe I just wondered if the power went out."

Richard chuckled and found the edge of the pile of blankets. He knew Lee could feel it as he lifted them, but for some reason he stayed glued to the spot even after Richard picked up Leif with his other hand and tucked the little plush against Lee's chest (or at least, approximately the last place he'd seen Lee's chest).

"Go on," Richard murmured.

Shuffling in the dark, and the weight on the sofa cushions shifted. The warmth at Richard's front disappeared. Then, nothing but the howling wind and rain.

Richard startled when a hand - large, warm, rather calloused - found the arm still holding up the blankets. The little tug on his wrist was impetus enough, but Lee still whispered,

"Coming?"

Feeling as large and awkward as he ever had in his life, Richard crawled beneath the blanket mountain. It was slightly easier than he'd thought it would be, admittedly - Lee had somehow tucked himself into the corner of the sofa in what seemed to be an impossibly small space for someone with limbs as long as his were. When Richard hesitated, hands appeared out of the darkness and drew him in, guiding him to a spot where the stifling heat and humidity of the cave were cut slightly by a stream of cool, breathable air falling from who-knew-where. He hadn't been settled but for a moment when a pair of long legs were slung across his own and the hand on his shoulder replaced with Lee's head.

"Is this all right?"

The rational part of Richard's mind pointed out that Lee had to breathe too, and if this one little spot was where fresh air was available, then of course Lee would need to be all but entirely in his lap. However, that did nothing to change the pounding of his heart; neither did the knowledge, as he felt Lee's breath ghost against his neck and he settled a hand on Lee's thighs, that this was by far the most intimate position the two of them had ever assumed. Richard slid his other arm around Lee's waist and it was clear, from the way the younger man relaxed against him, that Lee had his answer.

"This is just fine," Richard murmured anyway. Lee gave a little hum of contentment and wrapped an arm around Richard's waist as well.

"Thank you." The words were quiet - barely a puff of air against Richard's neck.

"Any time." Was it possible for him to feel Lee smile in their position? Richard thought he did, though he couldn't help but be a little unsure.

Even with the vent above them, beneath the blankets the storm was greatly muffled. Lee still startled at the loudest cracks of thunder, but the wind and rain were a distant drone, and he calmed again quickly after each thunderclap. One of Lee's hands sought out the one Richard had left resting on Lee's thighs, and their fingers tangled together slowly.

It was impossible to think of it as anything other than a significant night, Richard pondered, lulled by the warmth of the blankets and the gentle rhythm of Lee's breaths. Even their friendship - peppered as it was by not-really-dates, ever-unfulfilled almost-kisses, and hugs that lasted too long to be proper - had never before encountered anything quite as potent as crying and cuddling. Not even the hug they'd shared the first time they saw each other at the beginning of pickups (when they'd ended up clinging onto each other for so long that the others moved entirely past teasing and completely lost interest) truly measured up.

He couldn't help but wonder at it, really.

"Richard?"

"Hm?"

"Ah, you'd gotten so quiet I wasn't sure you were awake."

"No, I'm still here."

Lee squeezed his hand lightly and Richard did so in return. Quiet descended over them once again.

"I wouldn't, you know." The words tumbled suddenly from Richard's mouth without him really meaning to speak them. "Haven't, I mean. Well, also wouldn't."

"Haven't wouldn't... what?"

Richard cleared his throat, feeling his face burn. "Go into anyone else's blanket fort." Little threads of trepidation shot through his heart as Lee's responding silence stretched beyond just a few seconds; it was the closest he'd ever gotten to vocalizing his attraction.

"Even if you did, I don't have- couldn't-" Lee cut himself off, and when he spoke again, it was with an apparently unrepentant gear shift. "Well, as long as you're not giving away my fort's secrets, I can't really object anyway."

Most of Richard wanted to address Lee's sudden nervousness (though he remained as closely cuddled as before), and figure out what he needed to apologize for. The words that came to his lips, however, were, "Your fort has secrets?"

Lee gave an exaggerated humph even as he curled a tiny bit closer, his eyelashes fluttering against Richard's skin when he blinked. "Of course. There's the secret entrance, and the chimney, and the guard giraffe..." Lee let out an unsteady breath. "I wouldn't want anyone else in here with me."

Richard's mouth dried out instantly. "Really?"

"Of course; the guard giraffe is quite real."

"That's not what I meant."

Lee fell silent for a long moment, breath hot and damp against Richard's neck. When he lifted his head away, Richard's heart broke just a little bit. When he carefully disentangled their fingers, Richard couldn't quite stop the shakiness of his next breath, and he cursed himself for getting so attached, for showing off his soft spot, and most of all for letting himself hope - just a little - that night.

Then Lee's hand appeared on Richard's shoulder, tentative but warm. It slid upward slowly, cupping the side of his neck. (Richard wasn't sure he remembered how to breathe, and he was _melting_ and he was in so much trouble, was going to be in such pain when Lee explained that it wasn't how he meant it - they were the kind of friends who could snuggle on the sofa, sure, but-) Noses bumped awkwardly in the dark, then again when they both tried to tilt the same way.

The kiss was gentle and brief, but heartfelt. Richard tasted blood and honey. His heart pounded.

They barely parted; Richard could have sworn he could feel the heat of Lee's flush, and he wasn't sure if the slight trembling he felt was Lee or himself. He wished he could see the younger man's face.

"Really."

"...What?"

Lee's laugh began as a silent twitch, and for a moment Richard was sure he'd done something wrong. But then a quiet sound began that could only be described as a giggle, and a (somewhat confused) warmth bloomed all through Richard's chest. "Did I blow you away with just one kiss?"

Lee's tone was teasing, but Richard couldn't help responding earnestly; he raised his hand and cupped Lee's jaw. Lee gasped.

"You did."

"Oh." Lee's rough stubble scraped Richard's hand as he spoke and smiled, quite in contrast to the softness of his cheek. "You're the only one I want here with me. Really."

The warmth in Richard's chest burst like a flare, burning down his arms and up the back up his neck; dropping into his belly to spread down his legs. He was suddenly acutely aware, despite how comfortably they'd settled into the position, how Lee was still sprawled across his lap, how they each had an arm around the other's waist, how their chests were pressed as closely as they could be at their angle.

Lee made a sound halfway between a yelp and a burst of laughter when Richard bundled him even closer, turning them to face each other more fully. Then their lips were together again, and Richard neither knew nor cared who had initiated it.

Unlike the first kiss, this one was fervent - just a hair off desperate. Lips slid against each other, never quite parting before diving in again. The heat of the cave seemed to rocket as mouths opened and tongues came into play; they both gasped for air at each little pause. Lee's hand moved up into Richard's hair, tangling there as the other explored his back, beneath the cardigan but above the shirt. Richard's hands wandered as well, discovering the contours of thighs and hips through denim, the curve of a waist, a softer belly than he'd anticipated - Richard gave a little squeeze, and Lee moaned into his mouth.

That Lee was the one to give the first timid nip to Richard's lower lip was something he thought he probably should have, in hindsight, seen coming. Richard wasn't about to return the gesture, but when the opportunity arose he carefully pulled the younger man's lip between his teeth, giving a gentle suck and laving his tongue over the rough patch, his mouth filling with the taste of that raw skin. Lee let his forehead tip against Richard's when he was released, chest heaving and hands stilled for a moment.

"Been wanting to do that for _ages_."

"Really?"

Lee chuckled through his gradually slowing breaths. "Really again?"

"Can't think of any more words."

Lee darted in for a quick little kiss; made a sound like Richard was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted.

"Really really. You didn't notice? How often I've approached you and then..."

"Backed away?" Richard supplied.

"-chickened out?" Lee said at the same time. They both chuckled, and Richard leaned in to press a kiss to the corner of Lee's mouth.

"To be fair, I think it was _me_ chickening out at least half of the time." As far as Richard was concerned, he'd learned to _hear_ Lee's smile, and Lee did smile then. "Also, we were interrupted at least a couple times."

"Mmm, like tonight?" Lee seemed half-distracted from his words by the way he was trailing the hand still resting on Richard's back very slowly southward. Richard was half-distracted by it as well. "I couldn't decide if I was more frustrated at never getting to kiss you, or embarrassed you'd discovered Leif."

"Go easy on the poor little fellow, he was just fulfilling his duty as guard giraffe."

"I must say," Lee commented between badly-suppressed giggles, "I almost think you're taking more of a shine to Leif than to _me_."

Richard trailed his fingertips lightly down Lee's sides, stopping just low enough to scratch little circles over the younger man's hips. Lee's hand shivered on his back.

"He is quite charming."

Lee's hand reached the bottom of Richard's shirt; fingers just barely played at the edge. "May I?"

"Absolutely."

One of Lee's hands was hot, the other cold, and both electric against the bare skin of Richard's back. Richard hissed and groaned, and somewhere in his squirming missed the moment when Lee shifted his legs around so he could straddle Richard's and truly seat himself in the older man's lap. Richard sought out Lee's lips in the darkness, then his cheek and jaw and neck. A series of little nibbles and kisses down the side of his neck - none that would leave the slightest mark the next day - caused Lee to moan and sway just a bit in Richard's arms.

"All right?" Richard asked, lips still pressed against hot skin.

"Yes," Lee breathed. Richard teased at the collar of Lee's t-shirt and Lee hissed the word a second time.

Richard coaxed the garment out of the way and latched on, biting and sucking just enough that he thought there might be a trace of pink tomorrow. Lee's skin tasted clean beneath the stress and fresh salt, and he devoured all that the elastic material would let him reach as Lee let out an irresistible string of moans and sighs.

Richard was ready when Lee swayed again, steadying the younger man and drawing him in until Lee - of his own volition, so far as Richard could tell - tipped forward and rested against Richard's chest and shoulder.

"You are exhausted," Richard stated.

"Maybe a little," Lee admitted without much hesitation. "Although that was also a really good spot you picked." Richard grinned and the beginning of his sentence turned into a groan as Lee turned his head and teased at the same spot Richard had been working on him. "See?"

Richard couldn't help but laugh a bit at the sheer cheekiness of Lee's tone, and Lee, chuckling somewhat himself, took the opportunity to kiss his way up Richard's neck.

"I mean, though, are you going to be all right? Do you want to..." Richard floundered for the least presumptuous word, face blazing with heat in the dark, even as Lee sucked Richard's earlobe between his teeth. "...continue?"

Lee's arms wound around Richard's shoulders, and the sweet kiss he pressed to Richard's mouth was rather at odds with the slow forward twist of his hips in Richard's lap. Richard was suddenly thoroughly aware of the heat Lee was shedding, and unable to ignore his own physical reaction which had been building slowly.

"I do, if you want to."

Richard ran his hands up Lee's back and neck, threaded his fingers into the short locks he couldn't see. Lee hummed in appreciation.

"I do too." Lee crashed their lips together before Richard had even finished speaking, and Richard couldn't help but laugh against that soft mouth in overwhelming, undisguised delight.

"'ve wanted this," Lee mumbled breathlessly between kisses without pulling back in the least. The heat in Richard's veins blazed. "Wanted you. Can hardly believe-"

"Me too."

Lee moaned and devoured Richard's mouth hungrily, hands grasping at anything they could reach. Richard braced him when he weakened and swayed again, drawing back out of the kiss slowly until he could speak.

"Not that I want to ruin the fun, but you can't seem to stay upright."

"I can fix that."

Richard had opened his mouth to urge Lee not to push himself - it had been a _very_ long day, after all - when suddenly all of Lee's long limbs were hooked around him and they were tipping over onto the cushions, Lee on his back and Richard on top of him.

Lee laughed as Richard covered his face with kisses, ending with a long, slow kiss on the mouth as his hands ran down Lee's sides to grasp his hips, fingers playing just at the edge of a denim-clad backside. Lee wriggled beneath him, legs wrapping more securely around Richard's hips, and Richard fought the instinct to grind down - too rough for that night, he thought. The weight of the blankets above them lessened as he shifted in an attempt to relieve some of the tightness of his jeans, the storm outside suddenly louder.

"I think we're wrecking your fort a bit."

"No, we're just giving it more secrets." Richard could hear the smile in Lee's voice, but the moan he gave at Richard's next shift was tinged with frustration. "I can feel you holding back, you know." Richard was a moment off of apologizing, but Lee stretched up to whisper right in Richard's ear, as if there was anyone else there to hear them, "Touch me, Richard?"

Obviously, Richard was already touching Lee - quite a bit, and in several places, in fact. It was nevertheless evident what he meant, not least because he rolled his hips up in a futile attempt to reach Richard's as he spoke.

Fire shot up Richard's spine, filling his head and making the kiss he dropped on Lee's cheek searing despite the innocence of the gesture. Instead of sinking down to meet Lee chest-to-chest, he slid one hand around until he found a telltale bulge beneath the zipper and layers of thick fabric. Lee hissed when he pressed his palm down.

" _Richard_ , shit."

Lee's hands slid up beneath Richard's shirt again, ice against the skin of his back. Richard's twitch at the sensation carried through his hand and Lee groaned.

Everything that wasn't bolted down rattled at the immense thunderclap that broke just above. The whole sofa seemed to jump - or perhaps it was just Lee, whose previously-relaxed muscles all stiffened, and who wilted somewhat beneath Richard's hand. Richard did sink down then, wrapping around Lee as fully as he could.

"It's all right," Richard murmured, pressing their foreheads together (gently - he did recall Lee's headache). "We're all right in here."

Lee held on tight, Richard petting his hair and neck, until his breaths evened out. He continued to shiver long after, though. Richard didn't bother to hide his frown, as the darkness did that for him. His fingers diverted from their path, trailing feather-light down Lee's jaw.

"You're shaking," he whispered.

"I'm cold." There was no trace of tearfulness in Lee's voice, which Richard found a relief. Cold, though? As far as Richard was concerned, it was still just a hair shy of stifling in the fort, even with some blankets lost to the floor.

He slid his hand around to the back of Lee's neck, speaking even before ascertaining the younger man's temperature. "Still all right?" His skin seemed warm, though perhaps slightly less so than before.

"Yeah," Lee murmured in reply, and even if his body was cold, his voice was warm. "I always get cold when I'm afraid. It's... not that uncommon."

"No, it's not." Richard pressed a soft, reassuring kiss to Lee's lips, and, despite the persistent tremor, was heartened by Lee's eager reciprocation. His whole body rocked backward just slightly at the end of the kiss, and the words were out of his mouth even before he'd finished thinking them. "There's always the _classic_ method of warming up."

"Hot chocolate?"

Richard didn't have so much as a moment to be embarrassed over what was surely one of the worst pick-up lines he'd ever uttered (even considering his own ineptitude at such things) before he was struggling to suppress a deeply undignified snort of laughter and ended up choking on the impulse somewhat instead. The slight shaking of the man beneath him seemed to have turned from shivering to silent giggles.

"No," Richard eventually managed to respond, tone not quite as deadpan as he'd hoped.

"No?" Lee, meanwhile, managed flawless naivety. "Oh, right, it would be tea in-" Lee laughed unreservedly into Richard's mouth as he was cut off with a kiss.

"You-" Richard managed between kisses, "-are so - _cheeky!_ " Lee only laughed more.

While Lee was preoccupied, Richard slipped his hands up beneath the younger man's shirt. It was not quite how he'd ever imagined - when he'd allowed himself the luxury of such imaginings - his first touch of the skin usually hidden beneath Lee's clothes, but as his fingertips danced lightly over sides and up to ribs and Lee's laugh turned to surprise, he didn't regret it in the least.

Lee squirmed and arched, breathless in the face of the insistent tickling. His hands scrabbled gracelessly at Richard's cardigan, and when he finally did manage to navigate around both it and the shirt underneath, his revenge tickles found Richard to be altogether immune. Richard did find himself laughing, however, at Lee's helplessly mirthful cry of dismay.

"Ah, no! Resistant to my assault? I'm-" he broke off, laughing too hard for words. "I'm doomed! Surrender! White flag!" Richard stopped immediately, grinning so hard his face hurt, Lee heaving air beneath him between left-over giggles. "I think you won the fort from me."

Richard barked a laugh, hands sweeping back down over abused ribs to rest at Lee's waist. "Hmm, it needs a few repairs."

Lee gave a short laugh as well. Richard reveled in the feeling of the last tension draining out of Lee's body as he released an amused sigh. Then, unexpectedly, an arm wrapped around Richard's neck from behind, drawing him down until his lips just brushed Lee's.

"Let's build a new one," Lee murmured. Richard's breath caught. "One where we can stretch out, and I can see your face and sneaky hands." Then, as a muttered afterthought, "And where the lube is actually nearby."

"Are you actually relaxed enough for..." Richard stumbled over the words, flushing despite himself. "...fingers, even?"

"Probably not," Lee admitted. "Still, nice to not have to spit in your palm."

Richard grinned. "True." It didn't take much more than the slightest tilt of his head to kiss Lee properly, Lee humming happily against his lips.

"Ready to go?" Lee murmured when they broke apart.

"Yeah."

They both scrambled up off the sofa quickly as soon as they unwound from each other and Richard sat up. Despite feeling somewhat too hot beneath the blankets, the outside air seemed frigid rather than relieving. Lee kept a hand curled around one of Richard's wrists as he rooted around on the sofa for something. Several moments later, Leif was shoved into Richard's arms, and shortly after that the room lit up with a harsh glow. Richard exclaimed wordlessly in surprise, which earned him an apologetic smile from Lee, who held his cell phone in one hand. Richard smiled in return; just the sight of Lee was enough, at that moment, to fill Richard's chest with a fuzzy warmth.

"How many blankets?" Richard asked, surveying the wreckage of the original fort, most slumped to the floor and the remaining few not faring much better.

"I actually pulled about half of them off my bed in the first place," Lee replied absently, then twisted back around, expression defensive despite the fact that Richard hadn't had the chance to respond. "I get cold!"

"Cold, or...?"

"Actual cold," Lee clarified quickly. "Usually. It _is_ winter." Thunder rumbled in the distance, and Richard could feel Lee's shiver more than he could see it. "Do you mind?" The younger man asked as he quickly dropped Richard's wrist and pulled a blanket from the mess. "I dragged them down here all together, but it's faster-"

"I don't mind at all." Considering the grateful look Lee shot him, written all across his sweet face as he got to work, Richard didn't know how he possibly could mind.

So it was with two large blankets and a plush giraffe in his arms, thunder making his companion flinch and the way lit by a cell phone screen, that Richard first stepped foot in Lee's bedroom.

"Turning the light on," Lee warned. Richard squinted, but didn't close his eyes entirely.

Minus a few personal touches - a lighter pair of curtains on the window, nearly half a dozen more pillows on the bed, a lack of candles on the nightstand and clothes on the floor - the room was almost identical to Richard's. It wasn't surprising, really; the houses they'd been provided with were all very much the same. The bed was in a bit of a state, with everything but the sheets having apparently been unceremoniously dragged away earlier in the night, leaving the top sheet trailing on the floor and the whole thing looking sadly bare.

Despite that, it didn't take long between the two of them (Lee looking rather more self-conscious than Richard would have liked, though he supposed he wouldn't have been any better had their positions been reversed) to put the bed back together, the final piece being put in place as Richard tucked Leif up against the pillows.

Richard hadn't heard Lee's approach, but as he straightened a pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind. The other man's form, fully as tall as him, leaned into his back in a tender but ultimately brief embrace. Thunder rumbled again, and the tension that crept into Lee's body had Richard turning around in his arms.

"Come on, let's get you-" Richard cut off as a thought occurred to him. This was the bed that they were going to be climbing into, they were both still fully dressed despite their earlier canoodling, and neither of them had ever been entirely undressed in each other's presence. Not that Richard felt he had a lot to hide, considering some of the roles he'd played, but there was something markedly different about undressing for the camera after months of preparation and undressing for an unexpected and brand-new lover in his bedroom.

"Richard?" Lee's expression was a little worried.

"Sorry," Richard whispered. "Just, um, if we're going to get undressed-"

Lee made a small noise and coloured slightly. "Take our time with it another night? It's freezing in here."

Richard tilted his chin up and pressed a gentle kiss to Lee's lips; the coldness of his nose beside Richard's was obvious. "Sounds like a plan." Lee smiled.

The undressing may have been perfunctory, but it didn't stop Richard's eyes from straying as Lee's skin was uncovered, expanses of pale peach pinking up in the cold; the scattering of freckles around his shoulders made Richard's fingers twitch with a desire to touch. Lee stole glances as well, sheepish smiles curving his lips when he noticed he was caught. He hesitated at the underwear for a moment longer than Richard thought he would, considering the younger man was visibly shivering. Richard didn't have the chance to admire what was revealed when they were removed, however; Lee dove under the covers with a great deal of haste.

"Truthfully," Lee said, popping his head back out from beneath his fluffy haven, "I usually sleep in full pajamas at this time of year- or, well, in this season anyway. Flannel. Sometimes with socks. Even got one of those chocolate-scented teddy bears you're supposed to microwave, just because they get really warm."

Richard had turned away in a small fit of shyness, thumbs hooked in his boxers, but at that he whipped his head back around. "Chocolate bear?"

Lee ducked back under the blankets, and Richard could hear laughter. "You're going to fall in love with all of my stuffed animals, aren't you?"

Richard just chuckled and stripped off his final article of clothing. Despite the temperature not doing anything to help the fact that he'd almost completely lost his arousal at some point, Richard climbed onto the bed slowly and leaned down until he could quirk the edge of the covers up and peek underneath.

"Still all right?"

"Still all right," Lee replied, smiling up from where he'd curled into a ball beneath the covers. "Now get under here and stop letting out the warm air."

His heart pounding, Richard slid in beside Lee. The lamp's light was greatly muted beneath the blankets, but Richard could still see the slight trepidation on Lee's face and the tense pull of his muscles (from the storm, what they were doing, or both, Richard didn't know). Richard's eyes roamed as he settled. Even in dim light, exhausted and in a state, Lee was gorgeous. His name fell from Richard's lips - a quiet prayer - and Lee flushed, unfurling from himself and reaching out.

Richard met him halfway, sliding his hand up the goosepimpled flesh of the arm that wrapped around him as Lee drew close. He reached the back of Lee's neck at the same time as their chests pressed together. Lee sought out his lips as their hips met, moaned into his mouth at the slide of skin on skin.

"Richard..." Lee breathed, then moaned again as Richard ran his hand down the length of his spine. "God, you're like a furnace." Richard chuckled in response, laying kisses on rapidly-warming cheeks. His wince at Lee's ice-cold feet brushing past his calves as their legs tangled did not go unnoticed, and Lee ducked his head slightly. "Sorry."

"Nothing to apologize for," Richard murmured, the arm he'd had pillowing his head hooking over Lee's shoulder and, he hoped, engulfing the younger man just a little more in his own body heat. He traced idle shapes on the skin of Lee's back with those fingers as his other hand wandered, discovering every solid muscle, sharp bone, and soft spot that he could reach. Lee responded to each touch - arching, gasping, moaning, trembling. His free hand - the other was trapped between them - didn't travel much, but grasped at Richard's back and laced into his hair, guiding their mouths and bodies together.

Richard's fingers slipped down and between, brushing over that tight, sensitive ( _hot_ , a barely coherent part of Richard's mind pointed out) pucker of muscle. A great tremor - or was it a small buck? Richard couldn't quite tell - slammed through Lee's whole frame, accompanied by such a cry that Richard immediately stilled his hands.

"All right?" He was surprised by the rasp in his own voice.

Lee's initial reply was something between a croak and a gurgle, and Richard couldn't quite help the chuckle that escaped him as Lee cleared his throat, amused embarrassment on his face. "Yes. 'M alright."

Tentatively, Richard brushed his fingertips over that spot again. Lee groaned, eyes fluttering shut and a deep blush staining his cheeks. The shiver that ran through his body did not, Richard thought, have anything to do with cold or fear. He'd never seen anything more beautiful.

"Next time," Lee whispered breathlessly, gaze dark as he peered through his lashes, "I want you inside me."

For a moment, Richard had no idea how to breathe or move, entirely consumed by the emotion scorching through every inch of him. The green in Lee's eyes seemed to disappear entirely as the moment stretched. He was vaguely aware that his fingers twitched.

Then a hand was grabbing at his hair and their lips slammed together. Lee's mouth opened to Richard's tongue in the way his body was too overwrought to manage that night, and Richard plundered that hot cavern greedily, spurred on by the sounds Lee was making, the grasping of his hands and frantic tangle of their tongues. Richard had no idea who had started it or if it was pure instinct, but their hips were grinding together; there was no finesse to it, all friction and heat and sheer passion. Pleasure splashed over him in electric waves. The space beneath the covers seemed to have become very humid.

Lee began a mantra of "oh god, Richard" the moment their kiss broke, the timing of it made slightly irregular by the fact that he couldn't seem to entirely catch his breath. He seemed to be close. So when his arm abruptly unwound from around Richard's back and he half rolled away, Richard's hips stuttered to a halt in surprise.

"Sorry," Lee panted. "Just grabbing-" and he turned back, a bottle in his hand which he handed to Richard. It was half-full of some red liquid, and Richard had to hold it up to the sliver of brightness at the edge of the blankets in order to read the writing. A small laugh shook his chest.

"Strawberries and cream edible warming lube?"

The colour of Lee's face nearly matched that of the liquid in the bottle. "I like the scented ones," he replied almost defensively, apparently unable to summon his usual cheek.

Richard wasn't sure how _a bottle of lube_ could be the impetus for such a realization, but a part of his lust-soaked brain was quite certain, in that moment, that he'd fallen in love. Perhaps it was that the stuff was weirdly analogous to Lee himself - sweet, surprising, definitely a little funny, and (at least at that moment) bright red - or perhaps it was simply the medley of emotions on Lee's face as he studied Richard's expression.

"Is it all right?"

Richard wasn't about to say that he'd just fallen in love over strawberry lube, and thus said instead, "It's perfect." (Somehow, it still came out sounding like "I love you".)

The kiss Lee pulled him into, smiling a little shyly, was tender and warm. There was something almost innocent about it, in fact, except for the gentle rocking of Lee's hips - which quickly became the not-so-gentle rocking of both their hips, a renewed tangling of their legs, and desperate, grabby hands running all over each others' skin. Lee moaned when Richard took a handful of his arse and squeezed, then squirmed and giggled as Richard's touch turned slightly teasing.

"Richard..."

"Mm?" Richard ran a hand as far down Lee's legs as he could reach, and Lee's breath hitched as he trailed his fingers back up his inner thighs.

"God, Richard. Want you so badly. _Please_."

Richard hadn't known, until that moment, that it was possible to blush so hard that it was physically _painful_ ; or perhaps it was that he was oversensitized from need of release. A couple of hissed curses escaped him as he groped for the lube and then fumbled the bottle.

"Yes," he replied without thinking of the words, trying to orient himself when every direction was blankets (so as not to open the lube upside-down or anything else monumentally stupid). "God, yes. Just... just a moment."

Lee's hand found the back of Richard's head, tangling in the curls at his nape and tipping their foreheads together. Richard's concentration broke, and as he let his arm slump down over Lee's back, he was surprised to find himself trembling from a combination of nerves and desire.

"There you go," Lee murmured, and there was a little smile quirking his lips. Richard let go of a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Thank you."

Lee's smile bloomed into a grin. "I want you so badly that I can hardly think straight, but... there's time in there for you to breathe."

Richard's hands were much steadier when he finally uncapped the lube and poured some into his palm. The scent of strawberries filled the air as he warmed it up in his hand. Lee's grin widened. Richard spun the cap back on one-handed and hitched his hips back for better access. He hadn't gotten a look before, but Lee was lovely - dark red, thick, and dripping from all their playing. Richard's hand paused just above its target.

"Ready?"

"Yes."

Lee gave a heartfelt moan as Richard's hand wrapped around his cock, a sound of relief as much as desire. Richard traced soothing circles against Lee's back as he took a few moments to carefully spread the slick liquid; Lee made a sound halfway between a moan and a whimper and buried his face against Richard's neck. Richard frankly had to agree with the sentiment; the weight and heat of Lee's cock in his hand had his own throbbing with neglect, as well as - quite unusually - his hole, which seemed to be very certain that a particular type of intrusion would be _very_ welcome as soon as possible.

The first pump of Richard's hand wrought a cry out of Lee that seemed to be as much surprise as anything else. The second brought a fluttering breath, and after that everything began to blend together as Richard worked Lee carefully. Every little movement was met with a sound or twitch until Lee was a trembling mess. One quivering hand slid down Richard's back until it rested at his tailbone, and Richard couldn't control the tremor that overtook him.

"Come on," Lee murmured, voice completely wrecked. He pulled back enough to peek at Richard's face. Richard dropped a soft kiss onto Lee's forehead.

"Come on?" His own voice wasn't in much better shape, and he wondered vaguely if he'd been making noises without noticing.

"Yeah, come on," Lee prompted again, sweet face shining with desire. He tugged at Richard's hips. "Join me."

Richard did not need to be asked again; he slid forward, gathered his own aching cock in his hand alongside Lee's, and redoubled his efforts. Lee melted against him, every breath exhaling on a little cry. Richard found it hard to not melt in turn, with Lee's breaths hot against his neck, his knuckles brushing the softness of Lee's belly with every movement, and his nose filled with the scent of strawberries and sweat.

At the top of one stroke, Richard ran the rough pad of his thumb over their tips, and Lee came undone, bucking into Richard's fist with a stuttering cry that began surprised and ended on Richard's name. The extra, hot slickness in his hand as he stroked Lee through the aftershocks was what took Richard over the cliff, and he ducked his head to breathe the scent of Lee's skin as he let himself fall.

They lay there together in a sticky, tangled heap for a long while - Richard wasn't sure exactly _how_ long. Each of Lee's breaths soothed him until his nerves were no longer buzzing and his veins were no longer filled with fire. It was only when Lee's breaths began to grow very deep and slow that he forced himself to move. Lee grumbled a wordless protest.

"Sticky," Richard mumbled in explanation. Lee huffed a little laugh. "You're not going to make it to the bathroom to clean up, are you?"

Lee laughed again. "No."

Richard shook his head and smiled, his chest still filled with warmth even as he crawled back out into the chilly air of the bedroom. "Right. Be back in a flash," he murmured, and kissed Lee's cheek. Lee smiled without opening his eyes and snuggled back down beneath the covers.

It didn't take long for Richard to find Lee's bathroom, and he cleaned himself up quickly at the sink, only the faintest air of strangeness hanging about him from being completely nude in a house not his own. Studying his reflection in the mirror only made him laugh - his hair was in a truly legendary level of disarray, and there were little pink crescent marks all over his back from where Lee's nails had dug in.

Upon his return to the bedroom (with a wet washcloth and small hand towel), Richard found Lee peeking out from under the blankets.

"Miss me already?" Richard teased as he sat on the edge of the bed. To his surprise, Lee's face coloured.

"Maybe." One astonished moment later, Richard scooped Lee up into a hug, laughing at the pout on his lover's face and his own ridiculous swell of affection.

It didn't take long for Richard to clean Lee up once the both of them stopped laughing (and hugging, and then kissing), though Lee squirmed and bit his lip at the wet cloth that had grown cold as they fooled around. Richard had just settled back in, warm and dry and cozy, when Lee suddenly said,

"Uh-oh." Richard's eyes flew open with alarm only to see Lee's impish grin. "Leif saw."

Richard twisted around to look. Indeed, Leif was toppled over on the bed and facing them, just at an angle where he could have probably seen beneath the covers before, the standard wide-eyed plush animal look on his face. Richard turned back to Lee (the younger man barely restraining his mirth), then over to the plush giraffe again.

"Here, Leif," he intoned sympathetically, reaching out and turning the plush away. "You commiserate with the pillows."

That got Lee laughing; a bright, delighted sound that warmed Richard like he had a little sun in his chest. As he dropped back down to capture Lee's reddened, smiling lips for one more kiss before bed (or perhaps twenty), he found himself surprised at a quiet, distant rumble of thunder.

Judging by Lee's laughter, the storm had been completely forgotten.

  
~End~  



End file.
